Loading organizations...
Based in Davis, California, Advanced Farm Technologies develops autonomous robotic harvesting equipment and automated packing systems to assist commercial specialty crop growers facing severe labor shortages. The company utilizes computer vision and specialized robotic arms to gently identify and pick fresh produce, deploying its flagship TX Robotic Strawberry Harvester alongside human laborers in soil beds. Founded in 2017 by Kyle Cobb, Carl Allendorph, Cedric Jeanty, Marc Grossman, and Peter Ferguson, the enterprise expanded its technology from strawberries to include apple harvesting. The firm raised over $34 million in total venture funding, including a $25 million Series B round backed by Catapult Ventures, Yamaha Motor Ventures, and Kubota Corporation. Before ceasing operations in July 2025 due to a lack of additional investment, the business reached a scale of 35 employees and generated nearly $14 million in revenue.
Advanced Farm Technologies has raised $32.5M across 2 funding rounds.
Advanced Farm Technologies has raised $32.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Advanced Farm Technologies has raised $32.5M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $25.0M Series B in September 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | $25.0M Series B | Catapult Ventures (catapult.vc) | Impact Ventures, Kubota Corporation, Yamaha Motor |
| Aug 27, 2019 | $7.5M Series A | Nolan Paul | Catapult Ventures, Impact Venture Capital, Kubota Corporation |
Advanced Farm Technologies (advanced.farm) develops robotic harvesters tailored for vertical wall trellis systems, targeting apple and strawberry growers facing labor shortages.[1][2][3] The company automates harvesting to boost productivity, safety, and yields while cutting manual labor costs, serving farms with these systems through AI-driven robots that detect ripe fruit, navigate trellises, and pick gently without damage.[1][2] With $30M–$41M in funding, 35 employees, and backing from CNH Industrial, it has pivoted from strawberries to apples, achieving strong growth via recent $25M Series B rounds.[1][2][3]
Founded in 2017 or 2018 in Davis, California, Advanced Farm Technologies emerged amid agricultural labor challenges, initially focusing on robotic strawberry harvesting for vertical trellis systems.[1][2][3] The team leveraged expertise in robotics, AI, and sensors to create autonomous machines, drawing on simulations for rapid iteration.[1][4] A pivotal shift occurred around 2022–2023, when they successfully pivoted to apple picking—repurposing strawberry tech into vertical dual-column harvesters—after virtual testing accelerated real-world deployment in Washington orchards, marking early traction.[4]
Advanced Farm Technologies rides the agricultural robotics wave, addressing global labor shortages and rising food demands amid climate pressures.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with AI advancements in computer vision and autonomy, positioning it against peers like Carbon Robotics (weeding) and Burro (towing), where it leads in trellis-specific harvesting.[2] Favorable market forces include specialty crop growth (e.g., strawberries, apples) and investor interest—evident in $25M+ rounds—fueling ecosystem influence by enabling precise, chemical-free automation that scales yields for sustainable farming.[1][2][3][4]
Next steps likely involve commercial apple deployments, further crop expansions, and packing system integrations, building on Series B momentum.[2][3][4] Trends like AI simulation, edge computing, and precision ag will accelerate adoption, potentially evolving its role from niche harvester to full-trellis platform leader amid intensifying labor crises.[1][2][4] As robotics humanizes farming's future, Advanced Farm Technologies exemplifies how targeted automation transforms labor-intensive crops into resilient operations.
Advanced Farm Technologies has raised $32.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Advanced Farm Technologies's investors include Catapult Ventures (catapult.vc), Impact Ventures, Kubota Corporation, Yamaha Motor, Nolan Paul, Catapult Ventures, Impact Venture Capital.
